Wayland band returns to its roots, releases album

Phillip Vilenski and his band mates are hoping to make Wayland more than just a name on a map.

Wayland -- the band -- consists of Mitch Arnold, Phillip Vilenski, Dean Pizzaz and Tyler Coburn. The group released their self-titled debut album on Oct. 29.

Vilenski, 27, along with Mitch Arnold, vocals; Dean Pizzaz, bass; and Tyler Coburn, drums, make up the band Wayland.

The group is currently touring the Midwest in support of its self-titled debut album, released Oct. 29, 2010.

“We’re a modern day version of Journey meets the Black Crowes, with a lot of harmony,” said Vilenski. “We’re best described as a rock ‘n’ roll band. You can’t just say rock, as the roll is very important.”

Vilenski, 27, was born and raised in Wayland and is a class of 2001 Wayland Union graduate. He began playing the guitar in fourth grade and rose to fame locally as a member of the band, the Albino Chickens. After graduation, he left for the sunnier skies of Hollywood in pursuit of a career in entertainment.

Shortly after landing in California, he met Arnold and the two began writing songs. Armed with guitars, the duo spent countless hours gigging on the sandy shores of Huntington Beach, slowly building a fan base.

In need of a band, the two recruited an actor, Dean Pizzaz, and convinced him to abandon his acting career to join the group.

The threesome then began their search for a drummer. After auditioning more than 40 percussionists in Hollywood, they were flabbergasted to find that the missing piece resided all the way back in Middleville, Mich.

“We auditioned tons of drummers in Los Angeles and never found a good fit,” said Vilenski. “Then we received a video tape from Tyler Coburn, a drummer from Middleville. He was playing along with our songs and we were blown away. He had so much heart and charm -- he was a perfect fit.”

Together, the group formed under the name Whiskey Circus and began performing in and around Los Angeles under the management of Ironworks. From there, crowds continued to get bigger and the band soon found themselves opening for Slash of Guns N Roses fame, Richie Sambora, Buckcherry and more.

“We opened for Heart and Foreigner in front of 7,000 people at the Nokia Theater in L.A., that was pretty special,” said Vilenski. “We also spent two months touring in Australia, and headlined the Sydney Tattoo Festival in front of almost 12,000 people.”

After months of traveling the countryside, the road warriors parked Jan the Band Van and settled into L.A.’s prestigious Can Am studios to record their first official album under the watchful direction of producers Michael Gurley and Florian Ammon.

“These guys have worked with U2, Neil Young, Lifehouse, Rammstein – these are some of the best soundmen in the world,” said Vilenski. “And it was all taking place at Can Am Studios, where Pearl Jam, Guns N Roses and Aerosmith have recorded. It was a very special experience.”

Unsure of their current band name, the group opted to rename the band Wayland, which Vilenski said is a perfect fit.

“People absolutely love the name Wayland,” he said. “Maybe it is because it is an easy word to say, or because we have a lot of pride representing it, but people are naturally drawn to it.”

Despite performing in front of tens of thousands of fans, Vilenski said his most memorable performance was one that occurred just two weeks ago at the Wayland Hotel.

“We packed 250 to 300 people inside the Wayland Hotel and to feel that kind of support was cooler than any massive show we’ve ever done,” he said. “I can’t tell you how proud we are to play this music that we’ve worked so hard on in front of our friends and family.”

When not on the road, the group is temporarily residing inside a farmhouse in Hopkins – quite the change from living in Los Angeles.

“We’ve lived in L.A. for so long; this is something very different for us. Things like chopping wood and planning trips into town are very out of the ordinary,” he said. “But we love it here. We’ve never worked so hard and I’ve never seen the band so happy. It is refreshing to come out here after spending so much time in the big city.”

The group has several Midwest dates on their schedule including shows in Mt. Clemens, Bloomington, Ind.; and Chicago in the next several weeks.

The group will perform at the Break Room in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Jan. 22, and at the Intersection on Friday, March 4. Pre-sale tickets are available for $5 through the band. Wayland is also rumored to be performing at this year's Wayland Summer Concert series.

The self-titled album is available on iTunes and on their website. For more information visit the band on Facebook.